At this past Friday evening’s cooking class at In the Kitchen, I shared with the students a favorite recipe of mine, adapted from the original Moosewood Cookbook. By adapted I mean that all the flavorful goodness is there, I’ve simply made it easier and less time consuming. By using canned beans and roasting the veggies, the stove/sauté time is taken out of the food prep, making this the perfect high-protein, nutrition-packed dinner for the busy person to enjoy and be nourished by. It’s fabulous as a leftover lunch, also!

VEGGIE CHILI

(adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook)

Ingredients:

2 cans kidney beans

1 ½ cup tomato juice

1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

6 – 8 large garlic cloves, minced

1 large carrot, diced

1 large celery stalk, diced

2 small zucchinis

1 large red, yellow, or orange pepper

1 large can tomatoes

2 Tbs tomato paste

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. basil

2 tsp. chili powder

black pepper and cayenne, to taste

finely chopped purple cabbage (as a topping)

optional toppings:

finely minced parsley

grated cheese

Preparation:

Add the chopped veggies, onion and half of the chopped garlic together in a baking dish; toss with olive oil, salt and pepper; roast for 20 minutes total at 350 degrees, turning the veggies over once, at the10-minute mark.

While the veggies are cooking, heat the tomato juice to a boil. Add the bulgur to the pot, stirring it up well, cover, and let it sit for 15 minutes.

In a large pot, heat the beans and the bean juice. Add in the rest of the minced garlic and let it simmer for a few minutes. Add the canned tomatoes and bring to a boil – just for a moment, then turn down the heat to medium-low.

Add the tomato paste and let it completely mix in, stirring gently.

Add the roasted veggies and bulgur. Add spices to your desired taste. You can add more tomato juice if you like a thinner consistency.

The purple cabbage on top adds a lovely crunch and gorgeous color finish. Additional topping options are minced parsley and grated cheese. Yum!

Robin Mallery is passionate about food! Starting from where and how it's grown, to how far that food travels to the dinner table, to how it is prepared and savored...Robin blends shopping, cooking, and eating tips with her unique Kitchen Zen and mindful meals approach to enjoying real food.

While you are waiting for her to finish the upcoming book, "Kitchen Zen: The Journey to Nourish Body and Soul in Our Changing World", you can find Robin's sporadic blog posts here or on FaceBook.

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"The Holiday Survival Cooking and Eating Class exceeded my expectations. It was so enjoyable to learn new ideas for healthy snacks and meals, taste the delicious treats we created and leave with an inspired hope that this will be my healthiest holiday season yet! I am impressed with the knowledge and care that Robin (and Wendy from In the Kitchen) both possess and I look forward to taking more classes in the future. Thanks again!" --Rose M.
“What a wonderful, yummy class! Not only did we participate in creating several easy-to-make, delicious, nourishing dishes for the holidays and every day, we also learned strategies for surviving and enjoying the upcoming holiday season. Both Robin & Wendy were delightful and imparted their cooking and eating knowledge with love, humor, and enthusiasm. I highly recommend their classes to anyone who is interested in developing a better way to look at food, using thoughtfulness with mindfulness to learn some very valuable strategies for eating any time of the year!” --CAM
“I found the class delightful with great ideas for the holidays. In the Kitchen is a warm and welcoming place and you and Wendy were great teaching collaborators. Good new recipes. I appreciate your healthy eating information. I recommend this class to anyone wanting to enjoy the holidays without stressing over food. Actually, the information isn’t just for the holidays. I want to stay healthy all year and eat well.” --Pat B.
"I’ve participated in several classes at In the Kitchen, enjoyed them all immensely, but it is always a special treat when Wendy teaches a class. The recipes offered in The Holiday Survival class were easy to make and so delicious. And what a plus to have Robin co-teach the The Holiday Survival class with Wendy. Thank you, Robin, for all your great information on healthy eating, which was delivered so professionally, dovetailing beautifully into Wendy’s presentation. Hope you two team up again for more classes of scrumptious, healthy recipes. What a fun evening!!" --Carol B.
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I love this positive feedback! How gratifying it is to touch the lives of others in a meaningful way…and to be able to do so around a topic that is so dear to me, is just the icing on the cake (right—pun intended!).
Wendy Van Wagner and I will continue to offer seasonal cooking classes in addition to the occasional specialty class…stay tuned!